With the growing popularity of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, station wagons, and trucks, the need for a tie-down system as an internal or external application has also grown in popularity. The most common type of tie-down system used in the automotive field for roof racks or article carriers includes a thumb-wheel mechanism to secure a tie-down assembly in position. In the thumb-wheel mechanism, the strength of the clamping force to secure the tie-down assembly holds the tie-down assembly from sliding along a rail during loading.
Tie-down systems are commonly used with elongated rails forming a pair of generally parallel side walls extending from a bottom surface defined therebetween. Inwardly extending flanges disposed above the bottom surface extend from an outer edge of each side wall Together, the bottom surface, side walls and flanges define a channel. The tie-down system is disposed along a rail with a portion of the tie-down system including a lock plate being received within the channel, and movement selectively constrained through interaction of the tie-down system with at least a subset of the side walls, bottom surface, and flanges.
However, in the thumb-wheel system, the strength of the clamping force to secure the tie-down assembly in position depends on the strength of the user. In addition, the typical thumb wheel system is a complex mechanism that is difficult to remove once the tie-down assembly is locked into position.
An adjustable tie-down mechanism according to the embodiments described herein can be easily relocated along the rail or removed without the need for tools. In addition, a tie-down mechanism according to the embodiments described herein is of a simple construction yet positively secures the lock plate to the rail independently of the strength of the user.